Another day of computer drama that actually started last night with Word not wanting to open.
It isn’t that I didn’t know to do this.  It’s just that this new laptop has worked so beautifully and faithfully . . . I forgot.

Yes, it has an automatic backup feature, as does my Norton software.  And my Scrivener backs up there too. But have you ever looked at some of the file names they use?  They don’t look anything like the file name you assigned!

So, bumping right along trusting my new Lenovo, I forgot (yes, I said it — I forgot!) to back up my files to a flash drive I keep handy for said purpose.  Then, when in need and stumped by technology’s prowess, I can open documents on the second computer in our home, dubbed Old Faithful.

But . . . I forgot!  And therefore spent a couple of hours trying to open Word to get at my A to Z Blog Challenge calendar that I’ve laid out so beautifully for my posts in April.  No success!

So this morning I trekked off to spend my coffee hour with my friendly geeks at the Geek Squad.  And wouldn’t you know, this Lenovo behaved just like a car does when you take it to the mechanic.  A few upgrades ran just as soon as my geek turned it on, then it configured itself, and voila, Word opened every time he tried it!!!  I wanted to curse at that laptop but restrained myself because I need it on a day-to-day basis.

lessons learned
lessons learned
  • Always, always, always backup your files and documents!!!
  • Never expect any piece of equipment or technology to be infallible.
  • Treat yourself to a Geek Squad geek when needed, rather than stay up and lose sleep trying to figure out computer problems on your own.
  • Take a tip from your friend, Kathy Pooler, who said in a recent guest post, “Even though we live in a digital world, I still feel the need to make hard copies of my work,” and instead of giggling at the thought, perhaps hard copies have not become archaic yet!!!